Malaria

I am in the tropics. Two of the four Americans I live near here have malaria. Funny, it doesn't seem like a big deal here. Nancy was tired for a week, and Nicole kept sweating on and off. They take a couple doses of chloroquine, which is the same exact medication I'm on to keep from getting it (I'm the only one taking it, but they're all here for more than a year.). And that's the end of it. At the maternity center here, it's a little more of a worry, because of potential birth complications. Then, at the same time, in the rural areas, where it's not diagnosed, or if it's diagnosed, it's not treated, and the result can often be permanent disability or death.

It all comes down to access and means. And we have them. Some people don't.